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“Call me Keith. And the pleasure is all mine,” he says.

“And this little monkey,” Angela says, bopping the nose of the toddler as she says the word monkey and getting a sweet little giggle in return, “is Mia.”

Mia regards me with huge brown eyes, and I smile at her.

“Hi Mia,” I say.

“Hi,” she replies.

She says something else, but I don’t catch it and I look to Angela to explain. Angela smiles and does so.

“She said, will you push me on the swing?” Angela says.

“Sure, I will,” I say to Mia.

She untangles her arm from around Tyler’s neck and holds her arms out to me. I’m a little bit taken aback that she is so happy to come to a complete stranger but I take the little girl and hold her.

“You’ve got a friend for life if you’re willing to push the swing,” Keith laughs.

“Swing,” Mia agrees.

I carry her over to the swing, put her on the seat and start pushing her gently.

“Higher,” Mia shouts.

“Ok, hold on tight then,” I say.

I push her a little bit harder, and she squeals with delight, and I smile to myself. Oh, to be this young again.

Over the next few hours, I spend time chatting to Sally and Keith and getting to know them a little bit and I also chat to several of Angela’s friends. Most of my time is spent either talking to Angela or pushing Mia on the swing. I barely see anything of Tyler, but I don’t mind. He has friends and relatives here to catch up with and I’m enjoying getting to know his family, Angela in particular. I can definitely see us being friends.

Mia is taking a nap on her trampoline, and I’m sitting chatting to Angela and her friend Penny. I’m absolutely stuffed full from the burgers, sausages, steaks and chicken breasts I have been constantly presented with, not to mention the huge chunk of garlic bread I was given. It’s a pleasant feeling. I’m that kind of full that makes you drowsy. I’m surrounded by nice people and the sun is shining. What more could I want?

“Summer, you have to try this,” Sally says from behind me.

I can’t eat another thing, but I know I will feel rude saying no when she sounds so enthusiastic and I turn around, trying my best to smile. My fake smile becomes real when I see she’s holding a silver tray full of large glasses of red juice. She holds it out to me, and I take one of the glasses.

“Thank you,” I say. “What is it?”

“It’s Keith’s famous punch,” she says.

I sniff it and the smell of rum almost takes my breath away. I sip it and I have to admit it tastes delicious. The taste of rum is there, but it’s nowhere near as strong tasting as it smells. On top of the rum, there is a hint of apple and cinnamon, a citrusy orange tang and a definite taste of cherry.

“Oh, wow that’s delicious,” I say while taking another drink.

Sally smiles and goes around the group handing the drinks out. Angela takes one but Penny declines. Is Penny the sensible one? Maybe she is but I suddenly don’t want to be the sensible one. I am enjoying myself and I don’t want to stop.

“Where’s Mia?” I ask, noticing she is no longer on the trampoline.

“Oh, I was worried she might catch too much sun sleeping there so I asked Tyler to take her up to bed,” she says.

“Ah ok,” I say.

That answered my next question too which was going to be where Tyler had gotten to. By the time Tyler reappears, I’ve finished my glass of punch. He notices my glass is empty and brings me another glass of the punch when he gets himself one. I’m more than aware of how potent this stuff is, and I tell myself no more after this one.

“Is she still asleep?” Angela asks.

“Yeah,” Tyler says. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a baby monitor and sets it on the table we’re sitting around. “And no doubt she’ll make it known when she’s awake again.”

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